Question from Amanda:
I would like to know why my female cat always washes me?
Answer from Amy:
Cats love to lick. In fact, they spend about one third of their waking time grooming, whether they are cleaning themselves or others. In a multi-cat household, it is common to see cats grooming each other. It is a way for them to show affection.
Likewise, when cats are licking their owner's skin, they are showing a plethora of love to their owners. It is how they say "Thank you" and "I love you." It is cute when they do it, but cat grooming can last for hours. Their tongue can be a bit rough to our bare skin. [See Suckling Behavior in Kittens]
Cats show their affection in many other subtle ways. Sometimes they blink their eyes at you as a way to tell you how much they love you. You can blink back to show you love them too.
The reason they come to nibble on your face or nose in the morning is because it is another way for them to display affection. Cats also do that with each other by licking other's face, neck, and ears.
Though some cats may lick you for the taste of your skin or even salt, most of the cats do that to show affection.
It seems like your cat loves you very much. :-)
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